Toy airplane



H. L. KRAEFT TOY AIRPLANE Aug. 5, 1930.

Filed July 21 192 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H. L. KRAEFT TOY AIRPLANE Aug. 5,1930.

Filed July 21. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q kn Q Q 8 k 8 an Q Q E z E nw m AQM IIHLWNI Q 3 Q i E Q 3 N QM N ha QM vw n NM 3 gwumkk Patented Aug. 5,1930 UNITE STATE oFI Y HERMAN L. KRAEFT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TOTHE MURRAY-OHIO MFG.

COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A GGRPORATION OF OHIO TOY AIRPLANEApplication filed. July 21,

This invention relates to a wheeled toy for small children. As shown inthe drawings, the embodiment is representatlve of an airplane of themonoplane type.

The essential object is to provide a toy of the character abovementioned which may be very economically made from fairly heavy sheetmaterial whereby the toy will with stand considerable abuse.

A further object is to provide a toy which may be rapidly and accuratelyassembled, 1rrespective of considerable variation in the thicknessofmaterials used.

A further object is to provide a toy which shall be substantiallyentirely made from pressed metal parts andwhich will neverthelessclosely simulate a full sized airplane.

Further objects and features of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description relating to the accompanying drawings whichillustrate the preferred form. The essential characteristics aresummarized in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the entire toy; Fig. 2 is across sectional view thereof as indicated by the line 22 on Fig.

, 1; Fig. Sis a transverse sectional view as indicatedby the line 83 onFig. 2, Figs. 4: to 7 are fragmentary sectional detail views asrespectively indicated'on Fig. 2, and Fig.

.8 is a development of one of the component parts of a preferred landinggear structure.

Briefly, the embodiment of the invention illustrated comprises a mainbody or fuselage made up of side panels and an overlapping top panel,the side panels being joined forwardly and rearwardly into a solidstructure. At the front of the. vehicle is a sheet metal member whichrepresents in appearwas the cylinders of'a well-known type of airplanemotor.

WVithin the body or fuselage is a support 1828. Serial No. 294,389.

The body of the plane is preferably formed i of two side members orpanels 1 extending substantially the entire length of the body andhaving inwardly overlapping extensions 2 (see Fig. 7) at the'extremefront of' the body. These overlapping portions maybe, joined as by spotwelding or rivets (rivets being shown at 3 in Fig. 2). The side membersare separated from each other substantially throughout the entire lengthof the body, but at the rear end thereof they coni verge and are securedby means which in; clude the skid and rudder fastening means, as will bepresently shown. I

Extending over the top edges of the members 1 is a'panel 4 which hasdownwardly eX- tending flanges 5, outwardly overlapping the upper edgesof the members 1 and arranged to be secured thereto asby spot or linewelding. The plane or wing structurev preferably comprises a singlepiece of sheet metalfi suitably formed torepresentthe usual monoplanewing. This may be secured to the top member 4 by a bolt 7, a suitablespace'r being employed between the panel 4 and the body of the wing toprevent-crushing or bending the metal thereof. e Y

The landing gear of the vehicle includesa bracket structure designatedgenerally at 10,

'made in two parts from sheet metal and. ar-

ranged to support an axle 11 carrying wheels 12. The bracket members aresubstantially C-shaped, when viewed in plan, and each. member has twoupward extensions or cars 13 which may be bolted tothe sides 1 as at 14,and downwardly extending cut-out portions 15, perforated to receive theshaft 11. The inwardly extendingends 17 of the bracket members overlapand may be secured to gether' asby singleflrivets 18. The contour of theupper edges of the'overlapping r'nem-" bers is such as to cause themembers to lie tight against'the lower edges of the members 1 when thebracket is secured in place as by the bolts 14. The bracket assemblyalso serves to support the outer ends of the wing as by reason of rigidstruts 2O suitably flanged for strength and secured to the bracket andthe wing. I

T" F 8 I have shown a development of one of the parts which make up thebracket structure 10. In this figure, the various bend linesin "theblank are indicated in broken lines. The bend lines L show where theears 13 are bent out of the plane of the blank to lie flatwise againstthe body sides 1. The lines L indicate where the ends 17 of the blankare bent up substantially parallel to each other. Line L indicates thebent line for the .lowermost portion ofthe bracket member which directlysupports the aXle 11.

The securing means between the struts and bracket" assembly preferablycomprises the formation of elongated openings 60 in the portions 15 ofthe bracket through which are inserted upturned ends 61 of the struts.In

assembly, the procedure is to swing the struts as from respectivepositions alongside the body down to their wing supporting positionshown, causing pairedabutment surfaces 63 (the ends of the flanges) tobear against the portions 15 of the bracket slightly before the strutshave reached their final position. Thereafter when the struts arefastened to the wing, as by bolts 64, and the wing is secured to thebody, as at 7, the lower ends of the struts bind at the bracket, and areheld securely in place against removal or vibrat1on.

Lying partly within the body is a propeller shaft 22, this beingsupported near its rearward end by an upright strip of sheet metal 23secured in place by one of the rivets 18, the shaft passing throughenlarged openings in the overlapping portions 2 of the side members tosu port a propeller member 24.

Surrounding the shaft and secured as by the rivets 3 to the overlappingportions 2 of the body is a substantially circular sheet metal deviceformed to represent an airplane motor of a well-known type. T hiscomprises a circular plate having at its outward edges, substantiallycircular extensions 26, and these are bent rearwardly at right angles tothe general plane of the plate, in which position they are strikinglysuggestive of the cylinder heads of a motor. r V

' The propeller may comprise a strip of sheet metal 27 which'liesdirectly against a conically shaped sheet metal member 28 havingrearwardly flanged extensions 29 at its edges, which straddle thepropeller blade strip 27, and outwardly extending flanges 29 to whichthe strip 28 may be joined as by spot welding. The flange 29 forms anabutment against the body-member of the motor simulating device. The endof the shaft may tightly fit an opening in the small portion of theconical member 28 to hold the propeller on the shaft, and the end of theshaft is riveted as at 30 beyond the bottom of a U-shaped swivel clip 31perforated to receive a cord orv strin 32 by which the vehicle may bedrawn. The swivel permits the shaft to turn and drive the propellerwithout twisting the cord.

The propeller shaft is held against outward movement from the strip 23as by'a pair of nibs 33 which bear against a .washer 3d adjacent thestrip 23. On the rearward free end of the shaft 22 is a rubber tube 25which serves as a pulley and over which passes a suitable bel' 36 drivenby another. rubber tube 37 which may be suitably fastened in place onthe shaft 11. I

A suitable noise maker may be provided, such as the notched wheel 38cooperating with a light spring strip 39 carried by one of the membersforming the bracket 10.

At the rear end of the body is a ru'ddei like member 4-0, a pair ofelevator-like members 41 and i2. anda tail skid 43. In designing thesemembers, due re ard is had for the fact that by reason of their exposedposition, they are especially susceptible to vibration, destruction orremoval. The rudder member is hooked into a slot in the top member as bya forwardly extending lug 4:5 which, when in place, underlies the membera so that'it can not be lifted directly out of place. The rear portionof the rudder, the shape of which is well shown in Fig. 2 seats betweenthe rear most portions of the side members 1 shown in broken lines at 1The skid member 43, as shown particularly in Figs. 5' and 6, isgenerally U-shaped and has a forwardly extending lip which in assemblingthe skid onto the body is inserted through a pair of notches in theflanges 1 and which lies tightagainst the upper surface of these flangeswhen the v rear end of the skid is swung upwardly into place on theopposite sides of the portions 1 of the side members, as shown in Fig.5.

The skid is made restricted as at 47to serve as a stop against the loweredges of the side body members, and the whole tail structure abovedescribed. including the side body portions 1 the-rudder member l0 andthe skid member. are tightly secured in place by one spotweldingoperation as-at 48. r

The elevator members are preferably formed in two pieces and have inwardeX tensions as at 50 which overlie each other and extend through slots50 in theside body members. Rearwardly from the inward e2;- tensions 50,the elevator members are flanged downwardly as at 51 to lie against therear ends of the side body members to which they may be secured as byspot welding. The extensions are so formed as to go into the slots inthe members 1 easily with the flanges 51 somewhat separated from thebody, where fore when the flanges are brought in tightly against thebody and secured in place, the

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extensions 50 bind in place. F or example, the uppermost extension 50,as shown in Fig. 4, binds at. 50 and 50", thereby eliminating vibrationof the forward end of the elevator members without the necessity for aspot welding operation which would be very difficult to effect by reasonof the close position of the side body members at this point.

I claim: 7 1. In a toy airplane, a body, a running gear comprising awheel axle, and means supporting the axle comprising two sheet metalmembers having side bracket portions joined to the body and extendingdownwardly therefrom to engage the axle, said side members havinginwardly bent extensions mutually gveirlapped and rigidly joined beneaththe 2. In a toy vehicle, a sheet metal body, a bracket beneath the bodyformed to support a wheel axle, said bracket comprisingtwo substantiallyidentical sheet metal members,

the free ends of said members being bent inwardly into mutuallyoverlapping relation and secured together forwardly and rearwardly ofsuch axle.

3. In a toy airplane, a hollow body structure including side wallmembers, a landing gear for the toy including a wheel axle and a bracketsupporting the axle, said bracket comprising a sheet metal structurewith vertical transverse webs passing beneath and directly supportingthe body, a propeller shaft partly within the body and drivinglyconnected with the axle, there being a supporting memher for one end ofthe shaft carried rigidly by one of said'webs.

4:. In a toy airplane, a sheet metal body structure, a sheet metal wingstructure adapted to be secured to the body, one of said structuresincluding a part having an opening therein, a wing bracing strut havinga lug at one end extending abruptly out of the general plane of thestrut for free insertion into said opening when the strut is swung intoan abnormal position with relation to the part having said opening, saidlug preventing the said end thereof, arranged to engage the adjacentsaid structure when the strut is swung to normal position, wherebylongitudinal movements of the strut in both directions will bepreventedconsequent upon signature.

HERMAN L. KRAEFT,

longit'udial movement of the strut in one direction when the strut isswung to wing bracing position, a flange forming a shoulder on the strutopposite the lug for engaging said part on the surface thereof oppositethe surface engaged by the lug to prevent longitudinal movement of thestrut in the opposite direction, and means to secure the other end ofthe strut in'such normal position.

5. In a toy airplane, a sheet metal body structure, a sheet metal wingstructure adapted to'be secured to the body, a wing bracing strut forrigidly associating the two struc tures, one end of said strut and oneof said structures being formed to interengage freely only when thestrut is swung to an abnormal position, there being oppositely disposedabutment means associated with the strut at

